5. The fifth best episode of The Winter King is Episode 5
Once again, we find Arthur tasked with navigating a tricky situation as a leader: does he excuse the crimes of his advisor Owain, with whom he’s been friends for years, or suck it up and bring his buddy to justice? He chooses the latter, which climaxes in a well-choreographed sword fight in the rain. It’s the show’s best action scene. I also like Derfel’s arc in this episode. This is when his hero worship of Arthur blooms into a lifetime commitment.
The episode is dragged down by a shoehorned-in subplot involving Nimue and Merlin deciding whether to abort her child. It definitely feels like something the show invented to give their characters something to do before they cycle back into the story. But overall, not a bad episode.
4. The fourth best episode of The Winter King is Episode 10
The season 1 finale of The Winter King tries too hard to be something spectacular. In one storyline, Arthur and Guinevere negotiate with the Saxon leader Aelle, which is pretty good — if unremarkable — watching. Meanwhile, Derfel travels to the Isle of the Dead to retrieve Nimue, who has been unjustly imprisoned there. It’s cool to see their bond reinforced, but their death-defying journey back to the world of the living — which comes complete with medieval zombies and an improbable sequence where Arthur destroys a brick wall with Excalibur — is all a bit much.
The finale ends on a bit of a flat note, with many conflicts remaining unresolved. Someone might as well hold up a sign: “Renew us, please!” Still, after spending a season with Derfel and Nimue, I felt something when they reunited, which is what counts.